Cup-dispensing device



Jan. 29, 1935. SEBELL 1,989,249

CUP DI SPENS ING DEVICE Filed Jan. 27, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1. 3

lnvenTor. Harry Sebell b zwa WABW AYTyS.

Jan, 29, 1935.

H. SEBELL CUP DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Jan. 27, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnvenTor.

Sebell Jan. 29, 1935. H. SEBELL 1,989,249

CUP DISPENSING DEVICE -Filed Jan. 27, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig.9. FiglO. 5o 9 lnvenTor.

Harry Sebell byalwl A'Hys.

Patented Jan. 29, 1935 i UNITED :s'r T s PATENT OFFICE} oUP-nIsr NsI G nEvIoE Harry. Sebell; Boston, I Appi'icatmn' ranuai ygzv, 1934', Serial .No." 708.609 3 cl im (cr sis-:55) I This invention relates to a device for dispensing folded cups one at a .time froma stack of cups, and it has for one of its objects toprovidea novel device of this type which isiconstructed'so that at each actuation thereof thebottomcup :Of the stack will be invariably delivered, 1 1 I The device comprisesa container to hold a stack of folded cups, a'ma'nually-operated slide at the bottom of the container, and a cup-ejecting blade carried by the slide and arranged so that when the slide is pulled forward 'saidblade' will engage the bottomcup of the stack and deliver it from the container. struction whereby after each cup has been delivered the return movement of the cup-ejecting blade may be made without dragging the partially delivered cup back into the container again.

- The type of folded cup which the device of this application is designed to dispense'is one formed from a paper blank having side wings which are folded over and adhesively united to make a lap joint, and which also has a bottom .fiap that is folded up and adhesively united to one side of the cup to form the bottom.. One side of the cup at the open end is longer than the other side to provide a lip or spout when. the cup is" used. 1 Ina cup having this construction'therev willbe' four thicknesses of paper at the bottomiof thecup where the bottom flap overliesthe 'side lap seam,

. while at the top of the cup the lipior spoutportion provides a single thickness of paper only; When, therefore, a stack of cups are piled upthe quad-I rupl'e thickness at'the side of the stack where the bottoms of the cups are located .buildsup very much faster than at the.opposite side "of the stack and'it is difficultto handle. a stackof cups of this type-because the cups at the. upper' partof; the stack will have quite an inclined position;

"(Dne'of the objects ofthe present invention is to-provid'e. a novel cup dispenser: which is: constructed so that the cups, suchasiabovej'described, when arranged in a stack, will be prevented from becomingdisplaced'when in the. container. notwithstanding that each 'cup has a quadruple thickness at one: point at thezbottom and a single thickness at'the top- .To provide for thus holding the cups properly in their stacked relation I employ a carton of specialshape. intowhich the cupsare first placedhin' stackiformation'. This carton filled with cups isthen. inserted in the container-, and the carton remains in the container as the cups are dispensed. When all the cartons in the container have been dis'pensedthen the empty carton is removed and another." carton filled with cups" is 'deposited-in the container, the. carton The device also hasa novel con-q serving to hold the cups in proper position for the; operation of the dispensing device. I

The features of the invention will be hereinafter set forth and then pointed out in the appended claims.. j

In the drawings wherein I have shown a selected embodiment of my invention, Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View through a cup dispenser embodying my invention; l

- Fig. 2 isa fragmentary sectional view showing the operation of ejecting a cup;

. Fig. 3 is'a section on the line 3-3, Fig. 1; I v

' Fig; 4 is afragmentary viewslook n down onto thebottom of the-casing and showing the ejecting blade andslide; v

Fig. 5 isasimilar view showing the position of the blade as it is ejectinga cup;

Fig.6 is'asection on the line 66, Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 shows the style of cup which this device is designed to dispense; A 20 Fig. 8 is an enlarged section on the line 88,

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a carton containing cups to be dispensed;

Fig. 10 is .a vertical sectional view through the 5 carton illustrating diagrammatically the manner in which the cups are stacked therein;

' Fig. llis a plan View of the carton;

Fig. 12 isa topviewthereof;

Fig. 13 is a view through the folded cupon the line 1313, Fig. 7. I v

The cup which this device is specially designed to dispensezis indicated at 2 and is illustrated in Fig. 7.. Itis a folded paper cup made from a blank having the side wings .40 and 41 and a bottomflap member 8, the side wings 40 and 41 being folded over and having their edges adhesively united with a lap joint as shown at 7 and:thebottomfflapsbeing turned up and adhesivelyv united tov the side of the cup. The cup has the open top and one side of the cup is longer than-the other as shown at 42, the longer side forming a sort of spout, when the cup is being used.

In a cup :of this; type there will be four thicknesses of paper at the bottom at the point 43 where. the bottom fiap 8 overlies the lap seam '7, while at the top of the cup the spout portion 42 presents a single thickness of paper. V

The dispensing device herein illustrated comprises a container 1 adapted to hold a stack of the folded' cups 2, said container being shown as havingian; open top into which the cups may-be delivered and a closure 3 for closing the open top.

ill

Whena large-number of folded cups-2-arepi1ed i g in the form of a stack of cups with the bottoms of the cups all arranged in the same direction the vertical dimension of the side of the stack where the bottoms of the cups occur will be much To partially overcome this difiiculty I propose to make the container 1 with an inclinedbottom 4 and to arrange the cups in the container with ing the cups are delivered one one as will in an opposite direction from the bottom. As a result the front 47 of the carton will'be considerably longer than 'th'e back 48.

The carton'can be opened at the'top and the top is closed by side flaps 49 which are folded inwardly to overlap each other and front and rear flaps 50 and 51 are also folded to overlap each other and can be fastened together in usual way by means of tabs 52 formed on the rear flap 51 adapted to be inserted through openings 53 formed in the front-flap 50. This carton is designed to be filled with astack of cups placed therein with the 'side' having the folded flap 8 and the side seam '7 on the under side of-eachcup" and with the bottoms of thecups directed toward thefront of the carton." This peculiar shape'of carton will fit the stack of cups-because of'the fact that each cup has four thicknesses of paper at the bottom end thereofwhich is at the front 47 of the carton and only one thickness'at the other end, which is at the back 48' of'the carton, 7 The carton is provided at its lower corner with a discharge opening 54 which aligns with the cup-delivery opening 5 of 'the container and'it is also formed in its bottom with a slot 55 for pur-. poses presently to be described. 9 The cups are dispensed one by one from the carton and container through the medium of a slide 10 which is situated beneath the bottom 4 of the container and is mounted to slide in suitable guideways 12 secured to said bottom. This slide 10 is provided atits'front end with a finger pull 11 by which it maybe drawn'forwardly and it is acted on by a return spring 13 which normally holds it in retracted position and which resists forward pullingmovement thereof. This spring is anchored at one end to a projection 56 secured to the bottom 4 of the container and at the other end to a finger 5'7 with which the-slide 10 is provided. The bottom 4 of thecontainer is provided with an opening or. slot 14 which mates the slot 55 in the bottom 'of the carton.

The slidelO carries on its upper side a cupejecting blade 15 which operates through the engage the edge 9 of the bottom flap 8 of the bottom cup of the stack and will partially deliver said cup through the openings 54 and 5 as shown in Fig. 2. The blade 15 is pivotally connected to the slide for which purpose it is provided with two trunnions 16 that have a pivotal bearing in ears'1'7 rising from the slide. 18 is a stop flange carried by the slide and which limits the backward swinging movement of the blade 15, and 19 isla similar stopflange whichlimitsthe forward swinging movement thereof. The upper portion 3 of the blade is shown as bent forwardly.

* When the slide 10 has been returned to its rearward.position as shown in Fig. 1 the blade 15 "willhav'e its forward or inoperative position also the thicker bottom portion at the lower'Tendi-of '1 the incline. The container is also provided with. a delivery opening 5 at itsfro'nt' at"the "lower end of the inclined bottom, through which open.-

shown in Fig. 1 and in this position said blade is situatedintherear of the edge 9 of the bottom cup;

Means-.are provided whereby when the slide 10 is pulled forwardly the blade 15 will, during the "initial forward movement of the slide 10, beswung from-its forward inoperative position shown in fulllines Fig. 1 into its' upright operative position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. As the blade swings into'it's dotted line position the, upper end 30 thereof moves upwardly and is pressed firmly against the bottom cup. Continued movement of the blade after it has reached its upright operative position brings the upper edge thereof against the edge 9 of the bottom cup so that during the final forward movement of the slidethebottom cup will be dragged for-- ward by the blade and will be partially projected through the openings .54 of the carton and 5 of the container. This placesthe bottom" cup in position where the bottom edge can be readily grasped by an operator for the purpose of withdrawing it completely from the container. ,The cups above thebottom cup of the stack'are prevented from being withdrawn by' engagement with the. front wall'of the carton.

-When the slide is released the spring 13 will return it to its backward position shown in Fig. 1' and during this return movement of the slide the blade swings forwardly intoits inoperative position and 'the rounded portion 30 moves back in contact with the bottom cup of the stack. If

the slide is released before the partially delivered upper edgethereof in'proper position to engage the edge 9 of the bottom cup, and it is'also desirable that the :blade should have its forward inoperative position'whenjthe slide moves backwar'dlyso as to prevent the slide from dragging the partially delivered cup back into the con tainer. To ensure that the blade will always have the proper position I have provided a spring arm 2*1 which is secured tothe bottom 4 and which frictionally engages :the side of the blade 15. The point of engagement betweenthis spring arm and the blade is above the pivot of the blade and hence as the slide is pulled forward the frictional engagement of the arm with the blade operates-toturn the. blade into its upright position. during the initial forward, movement of the slide and then maintains the blade in'such position during the continued forward movement of the slide. When the slide is released the drag of the spring arm on the edge of the blade will cause the blade to swing forwardly into its inoperative position during the initial movement of the slide and will maintain the blade in this position for the continued backward movement of the slide.

22 indicates stops depending from the bottom 4 and which limit the return or spring-impelled movement of the slide 10. l

The use of the carton 44 is important because if the container was filled with cups placed loosely therein and without being confined in a carton the top cups of the stack would be at such an inclination that they would tendto slide down back of the stack and interfere with the operation of the device. By employing the carton, however, the upper cups of the'stack are retained in position and are prevented from becoming displaced and thus interfering with the proper operation of the device. The carton has the further advantage that it facilitates the loading of the container with a stack of cups. These cups can be packed in the cartons at the factory and the filled cartons shipped to the locations where the containers are used. When the cups in a container need replenishing it is a simple matter to remove the empty carton from the container and place therein a filled carton.

I claim:

1. A cup dispenser comprising a casing to hold a stack of folded cups and having an inclined bottom provided with a slotand also having a cup-delivery opening, a manually-operated slide beneath the bottom, a cup-delivery blade pivoted to said slide and extending through said slot and adapted to engage the bottom cup of the stack as the slide is pulled forward thereby to eject said cu-p through said opening, and means carried by the bottom and frictionally engaging said blade to swing the latter into a forwardly-inclined position during the retracting movement of the slide and to swing said blade into an upright cup-engaging position during the forward movement of the slide.

2. A cup dispenser comprising a casing to hold a stack of folded cups and having an inclined bottom provided with a slot and also having a cup-delivery opening, a manually-operated slide beneath the bottom, a cup-delivery blade pivoted to said slide and extending through said slot and adapted to engage the bottom cup of the stack as the slide is pulled forward thereby to eject said cup through said opening, and a resilient arm carried by the bottom and having frictional engagement with the side edge of the blade, said arm operating to swing the blade into its upright cup-engaging position during the initial forward movement of the slide and into a forwardly-inclined inoperative position during the initial retracting movement of the slide.

3. A cup dispenser comprising a container to hold a stack of folded cups, each of which has a transversely-extending shoulder, said casing having a slot in its bottom and also a cup-delivery opening at its front, a manually-operated slide beneath the bottom, a cup-delivery blade pivoted to said slide and extending through said slot, and means frictionally engaging the blade and operating to swing it into a forwardly-inclined inoperative position during the initial retracting movement of the slide and to swing said blade into an upright cup-engaging position during the initial forward movement of the slide, whereby as the slide is pulled forward the upper edge of the blade is swung into a position to engage the shoulder of the bottom cup during the initial forward movement and the cup is partially ejected throughthe cup-delivery opening dur ing the remainder of said forward movement.

HARRY SEBELL. 

